Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Up and coming players

A lot of the Premiership here recently so let’s balance it out a bit and point out some players developing elsewhere:

A reader recently asked me about American prospects. I’ll go ahead and mention Freddy Adu here, although I have not seen him play. The hype is strong. He’s 16, and joined his club team DC United a year ago.

...Miguel is a wide defender playing in Portugal for Benfica. A converted wide midfielder his biggest asset is his pace, he likes to venture forward. His body reminds me a lot of Arsenal’s Lauren. He is also part of the Portuguese national side.

...Speaking of Lauren, Tunisian international Hatem Trabelsi has many similar qualities. But after misbehaving over at Dutch team Ajax, there is much to smooth out. Trabelsi is the type of defender that sort of appears on top of you with easy strides that seem slow before the pounce. Should have been smoother about his contract and good money they pay him.

...From the Ivory Coast, Aruna Dindane from Anderlecht once put a move against a German team in the Champions League game that floored me. He dribbled to the end line, paused suddenly until the defender stopped and then slid the ball past him, horizontal to the end line towards goal, passing off for a chip in goal. Brilliant.

An Ivory Coast international who scores goals along side Didier Drogba, Aruna was voted Belgium's Player of the Year in 2004. Needs a bigger club. Ivory Coast football also getting attention:

World Soccer: "If Anderlecht striker Aruna Dindane, Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure and midfielder Gilles Yapi Yapo of Nantes constituted the first wave of talent to break upon European shores, teenage Feyenoord striker Salomon Kalou is on the crest of the second. The 19-year-old younger brother of Ivory Coast and Auxerre front man Bonaventure Kalou – who himself spent six years at Feyenoord before moving to France in 2003 – appeared in only two Dutch League games before this season. But no one would have guessed it from the way he has run riot this term, using his speed, exuberance and ball skills to pierce defences at will."

...One of the best players I say at the European Cup in 2004 was Borussia Dortmund midfielder Tomas Rosicky. Apparently Portugal liked what it saw because European champions Porto wanted to sign him before the season. His price tag seems the problem; let’s see if anyone wants to fork over the $15 m or so. This is a very talented player on a very good Czech Rep. team who’s agent claims is unsettled in Germany.